Editing History of Bangladesh (section)

==Nawabs of Bengal==
{{Main|Nawabs of Bengal}}
[[File:Capture of two prisoners at an important battle by Allahvardi Khan Jahangiri..jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Alivardi Khan]] ([[Mughal Empire]]'s viceroy of Bangal) captures two prisoners.]]
[[File:The Start of the End of the Reign.jpg|thumb|Painting by artist [[Firoz Mahmud]] on [[Battle of Plassey]] titled 'The Start of the End of the Reign of the Subcontinent: during the time of my forefathers']]
[[File:Siraj ud-Daulah.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Siraj ud-Daulah]] the last independent Nawab of Bengal.]]
Mughal appointments of agents in Bengal ceased by 1713 because the empire was weakening.<ref name="Willem van Schendel 56">{{cite book|author=Willem van Schendel|title=A History of Bangladesh|date=12 February 2009|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780511997419|page=56}}</ref> In 1715, the capital was shifted to Murshidabad. This resulted in Dhaka's decline. This transfer happened when the province's main tax officer, Murshid Quli Khan, who had transferred his office to Maksudabad (renamed Murshidabad after him) became governor. Murshidabad was located at a more central position in Bengal, whose administrative limits at the time also included Bihar and Orissa.<ref name="Baxter 1997 22">{{cite book|last=Baxter|first=Craig|year=1997|title=Bangladesh: From A Nation to a State |publisher=Westview Press|page=22|isbn=978-0-813-33632-9}}</ref> In addition to changing the capital, Murshid Quli Khan modified the tax collection system.<ref name="Willem van Schendel 56"/>

Murshid Quli Khan wanted to create a line of governing nawabs like the contemporary governors of Oudh. He was succeeded by family members.<ref name="Baxter 1997 22"/> However, Alivardi Khan established another nawab family.<ref>{{cite book|last=Baxter|first=Craig|year=1997|title=Bangladesh: From A Nation to a State |publisher=Westview Press|pages=22–23|isbn=978-0-813-33632-9}}</ref> He collaborated with Jagat Seth to defeat the governor and secured the post of governor from the Mughal ruler through bribery. He also became diwan of Orissa. However, he faced problems from [[Maratha]] raiders present in Orissa.<ref name="Baxter 1997 23"/>

Nawab Alivardi Khan repulsed the first three Maratha invasions of Bengal. But they invaded again, and in 1751, Alivardi Khan signed a peace treaty with the Marathas. He ceded the province of Orissa to the Maratha Empire and agreed to pay twelve lakhs of rupees annually as ''[[chauth]]'' (tribute).<ref name="Gupta1962">{{cite book |last=Gupta |first=Brijen Kishore |year=1962 |title=Sirajuddaullah and the East India Company, 1756–1757 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o-MUAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA23 |publisher=E. J. Brill |page=23 |oclc=310573738 |access-date=10 February 2019 |archive-date=16 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230116112330/https://books.google.com/books?id=o-MUAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA23 |url-status=live }}</ref> 
His maternal grandson Sirajuddaulah succeeded him when he died in 1756.<ref name="Baxter 1997 23"/> Sirajuddaulah tried to stop uncertified trade in Bengal. Because of this he clashed with British merchants and was eventually defeated by 1757 in Polashi. The British governed Bengal and large areas to its west by 1764.<ref name="Willem van Schendel 56"/>